title: Cost effectiveness of treatments for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: focus on the novel oral anticoagulants.
abstract: For more than 5 decades, the only available treatment for the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF)-related stroke were the vitamin K antagonists. Recently, novel oral anticoagulants (NOAC) have been approved for the prevention of AF-related stroke. In the present article, the cost effectiveness of AF-related stroke-prevention strategies is reviewed. The emphasis on NOACs aims to provide an overview of their impact on health economics based on the published cost-effectiveness analyses. The available evidence suggests that the balance from the efficacy and safety point of view makes the treatment with the NOACs a cost-effective alternative to warfarin. Thus, the NOACs offer efficacy, safety and convenience, as well as cost effectiveness, for stroke prevention in AF.
authors.affiliation: University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, City Hospital, Birmingham, B18 7QH, UK.
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kasmeridis
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Apostolakis
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ehlers
authors.forename: Lars H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boriani
authors.forename: Gregory Y H
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Lip
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017277:Drug Approval; D006801:Humans; D020521:Stroke / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014859:Warfarin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D014812:Vitamin K; D014859:Warfarin